Slip joint nut wrench

ABSTRACT

A slip joint wrench comprising a handle, having a fixed jaw formed on one end thereof, forming flat surfaces engaging flats of a nut to be turned. A movable jaw is pivotally connected to the fixed jaw. The movable jaw has a generally concave surface forming a nut surrounding socket with the fixed jaw when the movable jaw is pivoted toward the handle.

o i b Q. Unite States aent [151 3,668,950 Tyler June 13, 1972 [54] SLIP JOINT NUT WRENCH FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [72] Inventor: Virgil E. Tyler, 7210 NW. 45, Bethany, 405,353 2/1934 Great Britain ..8l/98 Okla. 73008 Prima Examiner.1ames L. Jones Jr. 22 F1 d: Mar h 4 1971 ry 1 I e c Attorney-Robert K. Rhea [21] App]. No.: 120,955

[57] ABSTRACT [52] US. Cl. ..81/98, 81/ 1 11 A slip joint wrench ri ing a handle, having a fixed jaw [51] lnLCl ..B25b 13/28 formed on one end thereof, forming flat surfaces engaging Fleld ofSearch l I, 98, 99, flats of a nut to be turned A movable j is p uy References Cited nected to the fixed jaw. The movable jaw has a generally con- UNITED STATES PATENTS 610,450 9/1898 Johnson ..81/98 cave surface forming a nut surrounding socket with the fixed jaw when the movable jaw is pivoted toward the handle.

2 Claim, 2 Drawing Figures Q PATENTEUJUM 3 I972 uv I FIG.I

FIG. 2

VIRGIL E. TYLER INVENTOR.

has/VT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION ticularly to a plumbing tool wrench for slip joint nuts, and the like.

The plumbing outlet of a sink or lavatory is normally provided with a tubular trap characterized by a pair of slip joint nuts having hexagonal flats which surround the telescoping joints of the tubes comprising the trap. Conventional open end wrenches are usually unsatisfactory for'loosening these slip joint nuts for the reason that the available space near the trap is usually very limited and does not permit a sufficient movement of the wrench for turning the nut. Furthermore, the telescoping joints of the tubes forming the trap are sealed water tight by the nut impinging or compressing a resilient seal within the confines of the nut which results, after a period of time, in the resilient seal adhering to the metallic surfaces necessitating the application of considerable torque to the nut to break it loose. Further the dimension of the hexagonal nut usually surrounding a 1%. inch or 1% inch diameter tube is such that it requires a relatively large size open ended wrench having a proportionally long handle; It is, therefore, desirable that a box-end type wrench, having separable jaws, be provided for engaging such a slip joint nut in surrounding relation.

2. Description of the Prior Art The prior art discloses a number of split jaw box-end type wrenches, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,656,750 and 3,008,363 designed for engaging hexagonal type nuts while other patents, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,713,694; 1,787,744 and 2,448,22l, similarly having separable or split jaws are provided with keys which surround tubular members in gripping relation. Each of the above patents disclose means for joining or latching the separable jaws in surrounding relation with respect to the nut or tube to be gripped.

This invention is distinctive over these patents by providing a wrench including a fixed jaw and having a movable jaw Itingedly connected therewith at one end of a handle portion wherein the movable jaw surrounds at least four flats of hexagonal nut in gripping relation, thus, eliminating connecting means for fastening the free end of the movable jaw to the fixed jaw and the use of keys or other work gripping means.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A handle of selected length has one end thereof turned laterally of its longitudinal axis on an acute angle forming a fixed jaw in combination with the adjacent side surface of the handle for engaging two flats of hexagonal nut to be turned. A movable jaw is pivotally connected, at one end, to the end of the fixed jaw opposite the handle with the other end of the movable jaw being movable toward and away from the side of the handle facing the fixed jaw. The movable jaw has a generally concave innersurface extending through an arc of substantially 210 and defined by four cooperating flat surfaces contiguously contacting four like faces of a like hexagonal nut to be turned when the movable jaw is pivoted toward the handle in hexagonal nut socket forming position. Thus, the movable jaw, surrounding the greater portion of the nut to be turned, grips the latter, in combination with the fixed jaw, for transmitting torque to the nut by a force manually applied to the handle. Obviously, the wrench may be employed for tightening or loosening a hexagonal slip joint nut by a simple reversal of its position.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a split jaw box-end type wrench for slip joint hexagonal nuts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the wrench in jaw closed position; and,

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the wrench in jaw open nut engagable position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Like characters of reference designate like parts in those figures of the drawings in which they occur.

In the drawings:

The reference numeral 10 indicates the wrench, as a whole, comprising a handle 12, a fixed jaw 14 and a movable jaw 16. The wrench is preferably formed of metallic material of selected cross sectional dimension, for example, one-half inch square. The length of the handle 12 is relatively short when compared to the dimension of its wrench socket forming jaws l4 and 16 so that the wrench may be used in a confined area such as on slip joint nuts of a sink trap, or the like, as explained hereinabove. One end portion of the handle is turned laterally of its longitudinal axis on an acute angle, for example, 30, to form the fixed jaw 14 defined by a flat surface 18 and the adjacent portion of the handle side surface 20 so that these two surfaces 18 and 20 are coextensive with and transversely contact adjacent like surfaces of two flats of a hexagonal nut, not shown, to be turned. I

The movable jaw 16, formed of similar material, extends through an are at least greater than a semicircle and preferably encompasses substantially 210 and having a generally concave inner surface defined by opposing parallel flat surfaces 22 and 24 adjacent its respective end portions cooperatingly positioned with respect to another pair of flat surfaces 26 and 28 oppositely disposed, respectively, in parallel relation with respect to the fixed jaw surfaces 18 and 20. One end portion of the movable jaw 16 is hingedly connected to the free end of the fixed jaw 14 by a pin 30. This hinge connection is preferably formed by bifurcating the end portion of the movable jaw 16 adjacent the wrench flat 22 by forming a slot 32 between opposing surfaces 'thereof parallel with respect to the plane of the movable jaw, thus, forming a pair of upper and lower ears 34 and 36, as viewed in the drawings. The slot 32 cooperatively'receives' a lug 38 formed on the free end portion of thefixed jaw by rabbetting upper and lower surfaces at its free end portion, as at 40 and 42. The cars 34-36 and lug 38 are transversely drilled for receiving the hinge pin 30. Thus, the free end portion of the movable jaw may be pivoted toward and away from the side surface of the handle forming the wrench surface 20 and, when in closed position, the movable jaw 16, in combination with the fixed jaw and handle forms a hexagonal nut surrounding socket 44 of a selected dimension having the planes of the respective flat surfaces 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, and 28 parallel with respect to its axis. The free end of the movable jaw is provided with a flat surface 46 which contacts or at least is disposed in close spaced relation with respect to the side surface of the handle forming the wrench flat 20 when the jaws l4 and 16 are in nut surrounding relation.

OPERATION In operation the movable jaw 16 is pivoted to the open position of FIG. 2 and placed around the four flats of a slip joint nut to be turned, not shown, with the axis of the handle 12 perpendicular to the axis of the sleeve, not shown, surrounded by the nut and disposed in the desired position for forcing the nut toward the desired direction of nut rotation as for loosening or tightening the nut. The handle 12 and fixed jaw 14 are moved toward and engage the other two flats of the nut to be turned wherein the jaws l4 and 16 thus surround the nut, in gripping relation, permitting manual force to be applied to the free end portion of the handle.

Obviously the invention is susceptible to changes or alterations without defeating its practicability, therefore, I do not wish to be confined to the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings and described herein.

I claim:

1. A split jaw wrench for a slip joint hexagonal nut, comprising:

an elongated handle,

said movable jaw having a generally concave inner surface encompasing substantially 210 defined by four cooperating flat surfaces engagable with four cooperating flats of a hexagonal nut to be turned.

2. The wrench according to claim 1 in which the end portion of said movable jaw opposite its hingedly connected end is provided with a flat surface bearing against the adjacent surface of said handle when said movable jaw is pivoted toward said handle and said handle is moved in a nut turning action. 

1. A split jaw wrench for a slip joint hexagonal nut, comprising: an elongated handle, said handle having one of its end portions turned, on an acute angle, laterally of its longitudinal axis for forming a fixed jaw in combination with an adjacent portion of said handle and presenting a pair of cooperating flat surfaces engageable with adjacent faces of a hexagonal nut to be turned; and, a movable jaw hingedly connected with the end portion of said fixed jaw extending laterally of said handle for pivoting movement, in a common plane, toward and away from said handle, said movable jaw having a generally concave inner surface encompasing substantially 210* defined by four cooperating flat surfaces engagable with four cooperating flats of a hexagonal nut to be turned.
 2. The wrench according to claim 1 in which the end portion of said movable jaw opposite its hingedly connected end is provided with a flat surface bearing against the adjacent surface of said handle when said movable jaw is pivoted toward said handle and said handle is moved in a nut turning action. 